Printing press method of assembly

ABSTRACT

A sheet-fed, high-production, multi-purpose printing press assembled from a group of especially constructed components, including frames, cylinders, sub-assemblies, printing modules and removable and interchangeable segments, each being adapted to be assembled in a wide variety of combinations with the others to produce various simple configurations, to perform single printing functions with high efficiency, as well as various more complex configurations to perform a variety of printing functions and/or combinations of functions (in some cases including concurrent printing and collating); and the method of manufacturing a wide variety of different printing presses with diverse printing functions which involves the steps of first manufacturing a plurality of said especially constructed frames, cylinders, modules and other components, each constructed in such a manner that they may be combined together in a wide variety of configurations, and then assembling a wide variety of different printing presses from said especially constructed components; and with all of the printing functions and/or combinations of functions, including multicolor printing and/or perfecting, and/or concurrent printing and collating, being accomplished with each sheet passing through the press only once. The basic press structure includes a printing couple consisting of a standardized, especially constructed, lower printing cylinder, having a single work area, and an especially constructed large printing cylinder, having an effective diameter which is a whole multiple, greater than one, of the effective diameter of the lower printing cylinder, and having a number (equal to the whole multiple) of work areas, in each of which one of a variety of the especially constructed removable and interchangeable segments may be mounted. One of a variety of different printing surfaces may be carried in each of the various work areas on the cylinders of the printing couple, in a wide range of combinations. The printing couple is mounted in an especially constructed frame structure appropriate to the size of the large printing cylinder and constructed so as to provide a plurality of module mounting positions, at each of which one of a variety of especially constructed printing modules may be mounted in cooperative relationship with the large printing cylinder. The various especially constructed printing modules, in turn, are so constructed that they may each be mounted in any required module mounting position. The said printing modules provide means for mounting other printing surfaces and/or inking or inking and dampening rollers in cooperative relationship with the work areas of the large printing cylinder. The press includes especially constructed feeder means on one side of the printing couple and especially constructed delivery means on the other side of The printing couple, and selectively controllable means are available for causing sheets to be fed to every revolution, or to other than every revolution, of the lower printing cylinder, for causing a sheet to be carried through the bite of the printing couple, once or more than once, as it passes through the press and for causing the sheets to be delivered with a selected printed surface face-up. The efficiency and high productivity of the various configurations of the press are enhanced through the provision of a variety of especially constructed components which perform selectively controllable coordinating and control functions, so that maximum utilization is made of each revolution of the large printing cylinder in terms of the application of images to the sheets being printed, or concurrently printed and collated, in the light of the printing function or combination of functions being performed.



1. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 1. constructing a plurality of like printing cylinder support frame structures with each such frame structure constructed for supporting upper and lower printing cylinders therein and with each such frame structure being formed and constructed to provide a plurality of like module mounting statioNs for the mounting of self-contained plate cylinder modules of selfcontained inking modules about the upper portion of an upper printing cylinder mounted in said support frame structure;
 2. constructing a plurality of pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders with all of the lower printing cylinders having the same effective printing diameter and with the upper printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is a whole integer multiple, greater than one, of the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder;
 3. constructing a plurality of like self-contained plate cylinder modules with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at any of the module mounting stations of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 4. constructing a plurality of self-contained inking modules with each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of an upper printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at any of the module mounting stations of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 5. assembling a pair of said upper and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other to define a printing bite therebetween; and
 6. selectively assembling plate cylinder modules and inking modules in the mounting stations of said support frame structures with some presses having a plate cylinder module in one mounting station and other presses having an inking module in the same mounting station as the plate cylinder module of said first mentioned presses.
 2. constructing a plurality of pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders with all of the lower printing cylinders having the same effective printing diameter and with the upper printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is a whole integer multiple, greater than one, of the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder;
 2. constructing a plurality of pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders, all of which are alike, and with the upper printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is two times the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder;
 2. The method as set forth in claim 1 characterized by each support frame structure having said mounting stations positioned adjacent one another about a circular line formed around the upper portion of said upper cylinder.
 2. constructing a plurality of pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders with all of the lower printing cylinders having the same effective printing diameter and with the upper printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is a whole integer multiple, greater than one, of the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder;
 2. constructing a plurality of similar pairs of large and lower printing cylinders with all of the lower printing cylinders having the same effective printing diameter and with the large printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is a whole integer multiple, greater than one, of the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder;
 2. constructing a plurality of pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders, all of which are alike, and with the upper printing cyliNder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is three times the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder;
 2. providing means in association with said support frame structures for automatically feeding sheets to and through the said bite of said large and lower printing cylinders, said means being selectively controllable to feed a sheet to said bite once for each revolution of said large printing cylinder or once for each revolution of said lower printing cylinder;
 2. constructing a plurality of pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders with all of the lower printing cylinders having the same effective printing diameter and with the upper printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is a whole integer multiple, greater than one, of the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder;
 2. constructing a plurality of similar pairs of large and lower printing cylinders with all of the lower printing cylinders having the same effective printing diameter and with the large printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is a whole integer multiple, greater than one, of the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder, each said lower printing cylinder having a single work area on its periphery and the periphery of each of said large printing cylinders being divided into a plurality of substantially equal work areas with means for mounting an offset blanket in at least one of said work areas and means for mounting a printing plate in another of said work areas, and including means whereby another offset blanket may alternatively be mounted in said other work area;
 2. constructing a plurality of similar pairs of large and lower printing cylinders with all of the lower printing cylinders having the same effective printing diameter and with the large printing cylinder in each pair having an effective printing diameter which is a whole integer multiple, greater than one, of the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder and with a single work area on the periphery of each such large printing cylinder and the periphery of each such large printing cylinder being divided into a plurality of substantially equal work areas, at least one of said work areas of each large printing cylinder being formed and constructed to mount either an offset blanket or a printing plate;
 2. constructing a plurality of plate cylinder modules with each comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of said lower printing cylinders, means for mounting a printing plate on each of said plate cylinders, and means for inking said printing plates;
 3. constructing a plurality of self-contained plate cylinder modules with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a plurality of module mounting stations of a printing cylinder suPport frame structure;
 3. constructing a plurality of self-contained plate cylinder modules, all of which are alike, with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each being constructed to be mounted at any of the said module stations of the printing cylinder support frame structures;
 3. constructing a plurality of inking modules with each comprising a frame structure in which is mounted means for inking a printing plate mounted in said other work area of said large central printing cylinder; and
 3. constructing a plurality of plate cylinder modules each comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to that of said lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a printing plate carried on the surface of said plate cylinder;
 3. constructing a plurality of self-contained plate cylinder modules, all of which are alike, with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each being constructed to be mounted at any of the said module mounting stations of the printing cylinder support frame structures;
 3. constructing a plurality of similar self-contained plate cylinder modules with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of said lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a printing plate mounted on said plate cylinder, said means comprising an ink fountain, at least one ink distributor roller and at least one ink form roll for applying ink to the surface of said printing plate, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of said printing cylinder support frame structures in such a manner that the plate cylinder of a plate cylinder module mounted at one of said module mounting stations will be held in rotational, tangential relationship to a large printing cylinder mounted in said printing cylinder support frame structure;
 3. constructing a plurality of similar self-contained plate cylinder modules with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a plurality of module mounting stations of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 3. The method as set forth in claim 1 characterized by the periphery of each lower printing cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap and each upper printing cylinder having a plurality of work areas and an equal number of gaps, each said work area having a peripheral length substantially equal to the peripheral length of the one work area of the lower printing cylinder.
 3. constructing a plurality of plate cylinder modules with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 3. constructing a plurality of like self-contained plate cylinder modules with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at any of the module mounting stations of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 3. constructing a plurality of similar plate cylinder modules with each such plate cylinder module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted a plate cylinder having an effective printing diameter equal to the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, and in which is also mounted means for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said plate cylinder, the said plate cylinder module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a plurality of module mounting stations of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 4. constructing a plurality of like inking modules with each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of a large printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 4. constructing a plurality of self-contained inking modules with each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of an upper printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at any of the module mounting stations of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 4. constructing a plurality of self-contained inking modules, all of which are alike, with each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said upper printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each being constructed to be mounted at any of the said module mounting stations of the printing cylinder support frame structures;
 4. The method as set forth in claim 3 characterizsd by the periphery of each plate cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap with the peripheral length of the one work area being substantially equal to the peripheral length of the one work area of the lower printing cylinders.
 4. constructing a plurality of self-contained inking modules wich each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of a large printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 4. constructing a plurality of self-contained inking modules, with each such inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an ink fountain, at least one ink distributor roller and at least one ink form roll, each of said ink rollers being of the same diameter as the similar ink roller in the plate cylinder modules and the ink rollers in said inking modules being disposed in a mirror image arrangement of the ink roller arrangement in said plate cylinder modules, the said inking module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of said printing cylinder support frame structures in such a manner that an ink form roll of an inking module so mounted will be held in rotational, tangential relationship to the surface of a large printing cylinder mounted in said printing cylinder support frame structure;
 4. constructing a plurality of inking modules with each such inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of an upper printing cylinder; and
 4. constructing a variety of different individual printing press models by assembling certain of said basic printing cylinder support frame structures with a plate cylinder module mounted at a module mounting station, assembling other of said basic printing cylinder support frame structures with an inking module mounted at the same module mounting station, and assembling other of said basic printing cylinder support frame structures without a plate cylinder module or an inking module at any module mounting station.
 4. constructing a plurality of self-contained inking modules with each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of an upper printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 4. constructing a plurality of self-contained inking modules, all of which are alike, with each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of said upper printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each being constructed to be mounted at any of the said module mounting stations of the printing cylinder support frame structures;
 4. constructing a plurality of inking modules with each inking module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted an inking mechanism for inking a plate mounted on the surface of an upper printing cylinder, the said inking module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 5. constructing a plurality of combined inking and dampening modules with each combined inking and dampening module comprising a frame structure in which is mounted mechanism for both inking and dampening a plate mounted on the surface of an upper printing cylinder, the said combined inking and dampening module frame structures each including mounting means which adapt them to be mounted at a module mounting station of a printing cylinder support frame structure;
 5. selectively assembling said plate cylinder modules and/or said inking modules at some or all of said module mounting stations, whereby a press may be assembled with a plate cylinder module at one of said module mounting stations while another press may be assembled with an inking module mounted at that same module mounting station and other presses may be assembled with any desired combination of said modules, respectively, at the several stations.
 5. assembling a pair of said upper and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other to define a printing bite therebetween; and
 5. assembling a pair of said upper and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other to define a printing bite therebetween; and
 5. assembling a pair of said large and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other to define a printing couple with a printing bite therebetween and with said large priNting cylinder being mounted above said lower printing cylinder; and
 5. assembling a pair of said large and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other with said large printing cylinder above said lower printing cylinder to define a printing couple with a printing bite therebetween; and
 5. The method as set forth in claim 1 characterized by constructing some upper printing cylinders having an effective printing diameter two times the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders and some upper printing cylinders having an effective printing diameter three times the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinders, constructing comparable numbers of said printing cylinder support frame structures constructed for supporting pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders in which the effective printing diameter of the upper printing cylinder is twice the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder and comparable numbers constructed for supporting pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders in which the effective printing diameter of the upper printing cylinder is three times the effective printing diameter of the lower printing cylinder, respectively.
 5. assembling a pair of said upper and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other to define a printing bite therebetween; and
 5. assembling a pair of said upper and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other to define a printing bite therebetween; and
 5. assembling a pair of said large and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other, with said large printing cylinder above said lower printing cylinder, to define a printing couple with a printing bite therebetween; and
 6. selectively assembling said plate cylinder modules and/or said inking modules at some or all of said module mounting stations of said support frame structures with some presses being assembled with a plate cylinder module at one module mounting station with the plate cylinder thereof in rotational, tangential relationship with said large printing cylinder, and other presses being assembled with an inking module at the same module mounting station as the plate cylinder module of said first mentioned assembled presses, and with the inking means thereof in position to apply ink to the surface of a printing plate mounted in said other area of said large printing cylinder.
 6. selectively assembling plate cylinder modules and inking modules in the mounting stations of said support frame structures with some presses having a plate cylinder module in one mounting station and other presses having an inking module in the same mounting station as the plate cylinder module of said first mentioned presses.
 6. selectively assembling plate cylinder modules and inking modules in the mounting stations of said support frame structures with some presses having a plate cylinder module in one mounting station and other presses having an inking module in the same mounting station as the plate cylinder module of said first mentioned presses.
 6. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of differenT, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 6. selectively assembling plate cylinder modules and inking modules in a variety of combinations at the module mounting stations of said printing cylinder support frame structures with some presses having a plate cylinder module at one module mounting station and other presses having an inking module at the same module mounting station as the plate cylinder module of said first mentioned assembled presses.
 6. selectively assembling plate cylinder modules and inking modules in the mounting stations of said support frame structures with some presses having a plate cylinder module in one mounting station and other presses having an inking module in the same mounting station as the plate cylinder module of said first mentioned presses.
 6. selectively assembling plate cylinder modules and inking modules in the mounting stations of said support frame structures with some presses having a plate cylinder module in one mounting station and other presses having an inking module in the same mounting station as the plate cylinder module of said first mentioned presses.
 6. assembling a pair of said upper and lower printing cylinders into each of said support frame structures in rotational, tangential relationship to each other to define a printing couple with a printing bite therebetween; and
 6. selectively assembling said plate cylinder modules and/or said inking modules at some or all of said module mounting stations of said support frame structures with some presses being assembled with a plate cylinder module at one module mounting station and other presses being assembled with an inking module at the same module mounting station and other presses being assembled with any desired combination of said modules mounted respectively at the several module mounting stations.
 7. selectively assembling various combinations of said plate cylinder modules, inking modules or combined inking and dampening modules at one or more of said module mounting stations on said support frame structures.
 7. The method as set forth in claim 6 characterized by the periphery of each lower printing cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap and each upper printing cylinder having two work areas and two gaps, each said work area having a peripheral length substantially equal to the peripheral length of the one work area of the lower printing cylinders.
 8. The method as set forth in claim 7 characterized by the periphery of each plate cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap with the peripheral length of the one work area being substantially equal to the peripheral length of the one work area of the lower printing cylinders.
 9. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 10. The method as set forth in claim 9 characterized by the periphery of each lower printing cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap and each upper printing cylinder having three work areas and three gaps, each said work area having a peripheral length substantially equal to the peripheral length of the one work area of the lower printing cylinders.
 11. The method as set forth in claim 10 characterized by the periphery of each plate cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap with the peripheral length of the one work area being substantially equal to the peripheral length of the one work area of the lower printing cylinders.
 12. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 13. The method as set forth in claim 12 characterized by each plate cylinder module having mounting facilities similar to the mounting facilities of said inking modules.
 14. The method as set forth in claim 12 characterized by each printing cylinder support frame structure having a plurality of similar module mounting stations for both plate cylinder modules and inking modules positioned adjacent one another and about a circular line formed around the upper portion of said upper printing cylinder.
 15. The method as set forth in claim 12 characterized by the periphery of each lower printing cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap and each upper printing cylinder having a plurality of work areas, each having a peripheral length substantially equal to the peripheral length of said one work area of said lower printing cylinder, and an equal number of gaps.
 16. The method as set forth in claim 15 characterized by the periphery of each plate cylinder being divided into one work area and one gap with the peripheral length of said one work area being substantially equal to the peripheral length of said one work area of said lower printing cylinders.
 17. The method as set forth in claim 12 characterized by producing some upper printing cylinders having an effective diameter two times the effective diameter of the said lower printing cylinders and producing comparable numbers of said printing cylinder support frame structures with means for supporting pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders in which the effective diameter of the upper printing cylinder is twice the effective diameter of the said lower printing cylinder; and producing some upper printing cylinders having an effective diameter three times the effective diameter of the said lower printing cylinders and producing comparable numbers of said printing cylinder support frame structures with means for supporting pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders in which the effective diameter of the upper printing cylinder is three times the effective diameter of the said lower printing cylinder.
 18. The method as set forth in claim 17 in which the module mounting facilities of said first named printing cylinder support frame structures and of said second named printing cylinder support frame structures are similar, and are so constructed in each case that the said plate cylinder modules may be assembled at any of the module mounting stations of either the first or second named printing cylinder support frame structures, and so constructed that the said inking modules may be assembled at at least selected ones of said module mounting stations of either the first or second named printing cylinder support frame structures.
 19. The method of producing a variety of different structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities as set forth in claim 12 in which the said plurality of pairs of upper and lower printing cylinders consist in turn of a plurality of groups of said pairs of upper And lower printing cylinders, in which the upper printing cylinders in each such group having the same effective diameter but different from the effective diameters of the upper printing cylinders in each other group, and in which the effective diameter of all of said lower printing cylinders in all of said groups is the same.
 20. The method of producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities as set forth in claim 12 characterized by each lower printing cylinder having the same effective diameter in each press while the upper printing cylinders include cylinders having effective diameters differing from one another in different presses.
 21. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 22. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 23. The method of producing a variety of printing press models as set forth in claim 22 wherein said means for inking a printing plate on said plate cylinder module is constructed to use the identical ink rollers used in said inking means of said inking module and wherein the arrangement of the inking rollers in said plate cylinder module is a mirror image of their arrangement in said inking module.
 24. The method of producing a variety of printing press models as set forth in claim 23 wherein said plate cylinder modules and said inking modules, each have a basic inking system that is a part of all said modules, and an optional auxiliary inking attachment constructed to provide an additional ink form roller when used with said basic inking system and constructed and mounted in each case so that said additional form roller is the last roller to contact the plate being inked, and so that ink must pass through a greater number of nips to reach said additional form roller Than must be passed through to reach any form roller of said basic inking system.
 25. The method of producing a variety of printing press models as set forth in claim 22 which also includes the steps of producing a plurality of dampening attachments for said plate cylinder modules and a plurality of dampening attachments for said inking modules, the dampening rollers in said first named dampening attachment being identical to the dampening rollers in said second named dampening attachment.
 26. The method of producing a variety of structurally related printing press models having diverse printing capabilities as set forth in claim 22 wherein frame stiffening structures are provided for attachment to said printing cylinder support frame structure, so constructed that they may be attached at any one of said module mounting stations, said frame stiffening structures being attached to said support frame structure at one or more of said module mounting stations at which one of said printing modules is not mounted.
 27. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing presses with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 28. The method as set forth in claim 27 cHaracterized by said printing cylinder support frame structures being constructed whereby certain of said models may be assembled with a plate cylinder module mounted in one of said module mounting stations, another press model may be assembled with an ink module mounted in said one module mounting station, and another model may be assembled with a combined inking and dampening module mounted in said one module mounting station.
 29. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different, structurally related, printing press models with diverse printing function capabilities including the steps of:
 30. The method as set forth in claim 29 in which some presses assembled with a plate cylinder module at one module mounting station are also assembled with means for mounting an offset blanket in said at least one work area of said large printing cylinder.
 31. The method as set forth in claim 29 in which some presses assembled with an inking module at one module mounting station are also assembled with means for mounting a printing plate in said at least one work area of said large printing cylinder.
 32. The method of claim 29 which includes producing a plurality of dampening attachments for the plate cylinder modules and producing a plurality of dampening attachments for the inking modules, the dampening rollers in the dampening attachments for the plate cylinder modules being of the same diameter as the similar dampening rollers in the dampening attachment for the inking modules.
 33. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different structurally related, printing press models having diverse printing function capabilities which includes the steps of:
 34. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of structurally related printing press models having diverse printing function capabilities as set forth in claiM 33 wherein, in addition to said means for automatically feeding sheets to and through said bite, selectively controllable means to cause a sheet fed to said bite to be carried through the bite once or more than once are also provided.
 35. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different printing press models with diverse printing function capabilities which includes the steps of:
 36. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different printing press models as set forth in claim 35 wherein means are provided in association with said basic printing cylinder support frame structure for automatically feeding sheets to and through the bite of said large central printing cylinder and said lower printing cylinder, and including means selectively to control said means so as to feed a sheet to said bite once for each revolution of said large central printing cylinder or once for each revolution of said lower printing cylinder.
 37. The method of manufacturing and producing a variety of different printing press models as set forth in claim 36 wherein in addition to said means to selectively control said means for automatically feeding sheets there is also included additional means to cause a sheet fed to said bite once for each revolution of said large central printing cylinder to be carried through said bite once or more than once. 